Can you tell me about the phenols in extra virgin olive oil?

Why is it so important to use 100% extra virgin olive oil? The reason lies in
this oil's unique phenol content. Extra virgin olive oil-oil made from the first
pressing of the olives-contains the phenols protocatechuic acid, oleuropein,
tyrosol, hydrotyrosol, dihydroxyphenylethanol, and other unique phenyl-
ethyl alcohols as well as lignans and secoiridoids. (Lignans may already be
familiar to you from your reading about flaxseeds. However, it is also
important to know that certain lignans-including pinoresinol and
acetoxypinoresinol-are key phenol components found in extra virgin olive
oil.) These phenols are most concentrated in the first pressing of olives,
which make extra virgin olive oil. Subsequent pressings-even those that
produce virgin olive oil-do not contain the same concentrations of these
unique phenols.
The high phenol concentration in extra virgin olive oil results in three key
health benefits. First is the ability of this rich phenol mixture to help protect
olive oil's vitamin E. Especially during the process of heating-and even at
low heating temperatures-these phenols help to stabilize the vitamin E
present in extra virgin olive oil. Second is the ability of this phenol mixture
to engage in free radical scavenging. Especially when it comes to the
neutralization of free radicals like hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion
radical, the rich phenol mixture in extra virgin olive oil is especially
important. In fact, research studies have confirmed the ability of extra virgin
olive oil's phenols to help protect against free radical damage to LDL
cholesterol as well as cellular DNA.
Reduction of inflammatory activity is a third area of potential benefit when it
comes to the rich phenol mixture in extra virgin olive oil. Studies in this area
have compared extra virgin oil to olive oil from later pressings, and the
results show that extra virgin olive oil is able to lower certain markers of
inflammation (called TXB2 and LTB2) during a window of time 2-6 hours
after consumption of the extra virgin oil where olive oil from later pressings
is unable to do so.